This eleven-acre public display garden features a landscape of remarkable beauty with diverse and colorful plant displays, roses of all classes, seasonal displays of annuals, perennials, and flowering bulbs, and scenic vistas. Fellows Riverside Gardens is one of Ohio's finest public gardens and attracts over 400,000 visitors a year.
In 1958, Mrs. Elizabeth A. Fellows, an avid gardener, donated to Mill Creek Park the land and the money to build and maintain a free public garden. Since that time, Fellows Riverside Gardens has matured into one of the finest public gardens in Ohio.
Thousands of people make a point to visit the Gardens each year. Only nine miles from the Ohio Turnpike, many people find the Gardens a convenient and worthwhile stop while traveling. For the residents of Mahoning County, the MetroParks and Fellows Riverside Gardens are their pride and joy. The opening of the magnificent D.D. and Velma Davis Education & Visitor Center has made the Gardens a destination for all seasons.
Each year over 40,000 bulbs announce the arrival of Spring. Crocus, tulips, narcissus and other bulbs give forth their joyful colors in abundance. Annuals by the thousands replace the bulbs as they subside. Old favorites and new varieties are skillfully blended to produce a show that's sure to please.
A generous variety of labeled trees and shrubs serve as the background for the many floral displays. Shade trees, flowering trees, shrubs and ground covers of all descriptions combine to create smaller gardens within a garden. Collections of European beech, rhododendrons, hollies, shade plants, herbs, dwarf conifers, perennials and others are displayed for the enjoyment and education of the visitor.
The most popular collection in the Gardens by far is the rose collection. Four separate groups of roses are represented. Modern roses can be found in the formal rose garden where hybrid tea, floribunda and grandiflora roses frame the path to the Kidston Pavilion. Climbing roses are displayed to the west along the perennial border walk. Botanical and shrub roses are represented throughout the Gardens. Requiring much less attention than hybrid roses, these old garden favorites have their peak bloom in May and June. A collection of hybrid perpetual roses, known for their sweet scent and repeat bloom, surrounds the Victorian Gazebo and sets the mood for the many weddings and concerts held there. Collections of English and miniature roses are planned. With the variety of roses to see, locals have understandably nicknamed Fellows Riverside Gardens "the rose garden."
Fellows Riverside Gardens is more than a collection of plants: it is a collection of services offered to the public. Tours are available by reservation. Gardening courses and volunteer opportunities are available for those who wish to learn about the many aspects of horticulture. Special events, weddings, private parties and art exhibits bring many; others visit to peruse the fine gifts in the shop in the Gardens, enjoy lunch in the Garden Café, or take advantage of the many library resources. Local artists and photographers come to the gardens for compositions and inspiration as do home gardeners. Many come just to relax. No matter what brings you to Fellows Riverside Gardens, Welcome!
